Strengthening ECE programming in Guam necessitated a clear focus on the intellectual, social, emotional, and physical development of Guam’s early learners. By training ECE teachers on Conscious Discipline strategies, ECE teachers report that they are better equipped to implement the seven skills of Composure, Encouragement, Assertiveness, Choices, Empathy, Positive Intent, and Consequences, as well as effective practices for family and community engagement and parent/caregiver education. By prioritizing early learning and social-emotional competencies, GDOE aimed to increase the knowledge and skills of early childhood educators who shape children’s academic and behavioral attributes during the first eight years of life.

Guam’s early childhood educators provided ongoing feedback on the usefulness, relevance, quality, and impact of the Conscious Discipline trainings and documented how new instructional practices were implemented in early learning environments. Ms. Jonilin San Nicolas, a teacher at MA Ulloa Elementary School, shared that “The training provided great insight into Conscious Discipline. One immediate change since the training I’ve incorporated into my classroom is not using the common phrase “I like the way…” and replacing it with “If you need an example look at… It helps students to look to their peers for encouragement on how to behave and provides a model.  I’ll be sharing at the upcoming faculty meeting/PD about Composure and the Pinwheel breathing activity plus about Assertiveness and the M.A.P method. ” Another attendee, Ms. Marchelle Sablan stated, “The training should be available for the whole school community and parents/caretakers too. Amy Speidel has a wealth of knowledge and experience we can all learn from and apply in our classrooms and at home. As she was presenting, I could hear myself and it was a reminder about being more mindful about my words and actions and the effect it may have on my students and my children.” Ms. Patricia Roman, a second grade teacher at JQ San Miguel Elementary School shared, “Having participated in R18CC: Guam PreK Project’s SEL: Conscious Discipline Training on January 19, I learned that creating a classroom environment that is nurturing enough to build connections and form relationships is essential to ensuring that we are safe and that we can adapt to changing situations.  I have shared with members of my teaching community that we can use different strategies in the classroom to encourage student engagement and build trust.  Some of the interactions mentioned from the training included breathing techniques (for example, using a pinwheel) to help regulate our emotions when it comes to stress or anxiety.  Being able to initiate self-control allows us as teachers to make conscious decisions that will affect the way we interact with our students and with other colleagues.”